Leon M. "Chip" Killian is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. He practices in Raleigh in the business area with a particular focus on lobbying and government relations, including administrative and regulatory matters; in the commercial real property area, including affordable housing and in local government representation.

Mr. Killian has been a North Carolina State Bar Certified Specialist in Real Property Law, Residential, Business, Commercial and Industrial Transactions since 1989. He has represented developers of many commercial projects including residential country club/golf course communities, industrial parks and other projects involving complex transactions on behalf of developers, owners and lenders. He was recently selected a North Carolina "Super Lawyer" under the category of Real Estate Transactions. In 2011, Business North Carolina magazine named him a “Legal Elite” for his real estate practice.

An active member of the North Carolina State Bar Association, Mr. Killian served as a member of the Council, Real Property Section, 1982-85; vice chairman, 1986-87; and chairman, 1987-88; and he was a member of the Board of Governors from 1989-92. Additionally, he is a member of the 10th Judicial District Bar, former member of the 30th Judicial District Bar (president, 1985-87), the American Bar Association, the North Carolina Land Title Association, the North Carolina Association of County Attorneys, and the North Carolina Professional Lobbyists Association.

In his legislative practice, Mr. Killian has worked with electric co-operatives, pharmaceuticals, medicaid, housing tax credit law, local government law, manufacturing tax credit incentives, mortgage lending, consumer lending, title insurance, managed care, automobile dealership law, and alcoholic beverage control law.

As county attorney for Haywood County since 1971, Mr. Killian has handled public finance transactions including school, justice center, hospital, jail, landfill and other construction projects.

A member and former president of the Waynesville Rotary Club, Mr. Killian is a Paul Harris Fellow, and he is a charter director of the North Carolina International Folk Festival. He has also served on many other civic boards in the Waynesville area.

In 1969, Mr. Killian earned a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law. In 1966, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.